Animals
by Pulchrite
Summary: While babysitting his nephew, Hao is caught off guard when Hana decides to confide in him about something that's been weighing heavily on his mind.
1. Animals

**Animals**

Hao lazily rested his body against the futon as he watched the moving action figures flying over the television screen. Hana had been playing the visually stunning video game for a few hours in total silence, and he knew the boy would need to be fed soon. He scratched his neck and sighed. There was only one thing he hated more than being bored, and that was babysitting. Hana was five years old, an age where he could probably use the bathroom on his own but couldn't be left alone in the house. Hao didn't want to be blamed for him wandering off to a neighboring town again. That fiasco was difficult to smooth over with his mother.

"Hana, are you hungry?" he asked.

He nodded without speaking.

"I'll find you something to eat."

He opened the refrigerator after entering the kitchen and released a deep sigh. Anna would surely be livid if he opted to feed the boy junk, but he really didn't want to cook anything. They were such terrible parents. Why would they leave him there alone with the boy in the first place? He never understood it. Tamao would be much better suited for such a job.

"Um...Uncle?"

Hana was standing directly behind him, and his frail voice was startling. He jumped, causing the boy to take a few steps back, then clutched the thick fabric of his white t-shirt with his hand.

"Don't...sneak up on me like that," he sighed.

"Sorry."

Hao's expression quickly softened when he noticed the distress in his eyes. In his mind, a child his age being stressed about anything was abnormal. Hana slowly blinked his eyes and walked away. Hao followed him into the dining room where they sat in chairs directly facing each other. He rested his hands limply against the surface. Hana sat on his knees in the chair and attempted to mimic the man's position, but he ended up leaning his entire upper body over the wood.

Hao smirked. The boy was so small.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I...don't wanna get in trouble."

"It's fine. You can talk to me." He was confused by the statement. It was a proven fact that Hana was able to get away with almost anything as long as Hao was watching him. He allowed him to eat as much candy as his stomach could tolerate, despite the many times Yoh pleaded with him not to. Hana stayed up until the early morning hours when his parents were out of town and consequently had trouble falling asleep when they were home. With Uncle Hao there he had no curfew. There were no rules. As long as Hana didn't end up in the hospital like the roof disaster of the previous summer he was fine.

Hao knew he was a bad influence, but it was his brother's fault. Yoh should have known that from the beginning. He didn't have to be the strict authoritarian with a kid who didn't belong to him. That was his parent's job.

"Something's wrong with them," Hana said finally and stared at the table.

"Your parents?"

"Yeah."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well..." he paused and bit his bottom lip. "They fight a lot. I don't know."

"Fight?"

"Yeah..." Hana tapped the table with his finger. He was trying to figure out how to explain what he was thinking, and the thick blond strands of his hair fell into his face as he lowered his head. "In the middle of the night...Dad comes into my room to check on me. Then he goes back to their room, and they fight."

Hao's confused frown faded as he continued speaking.

"They roll around in the bed," he whispered like he was being watched. "And then Mama makes noises like she's in pain. I think he's hurting her."

He covered his mouth to hide a widening smile. Hana's worried expression was adorable; he tried desperately not to laugh.

"Hana..." He cleared his throat. "Do they fight like this a lot?"

"All the time. Three or four times a week, I think."

Hao rested his elbow against the table and cupped his hand partially over his face with his mouth open. There was a long pause as Hana began drawing imaginary circles over the wood with his finger.

"Tell me more about this." He tried to keep his tone even, but a small giggle partially escaped.

"They don't wear their pajamas, but they move around too much to get cold," he sighed. "Sometimes they pretend to be animals."

"Animals?"

"Yeah. Dad growls like a tiger." He began rambling. "Mama always sounds like a bird. He covered her mouth once; she was too loud. I was scared so I ran away."

Hao's smile permanently painted his lips. He couldn't change his expression no matter how hard he tried.

"But she looks okay the next day. I know he hurt her, but she never says anything."

"I don't think there's anything to worry about, Hana," Hao said. "Yoh wouldn't hurt Anna because he loves her."

"If they love each other, why do they fight so much?" he asked with a quizzical frown. "She slaps him sometimes and scratches his back. I know it hurts because he moans."

"What does this...moan sound like?"

"Well..." The boy tilted his head as the drawing slowed. "I guess...it kinda sounds like a kitten with a broken—"

The front door opened suddenly, and Hao stared at the table as rustling noises grew in the distance. Hana sat upright with his hands planted firmly onto the table and glanced at his uncle with fear.

"Hey, we're back," he heard Yoh say.

"Please, don't tell them," Hana whispered. "I don't wanna get in trouble!"

"I promise I won't. But if they fight again let me know, okay?"

"Okay."

"Hana, help me with these," Anna said as she entered the room carrying several bags in her hands.

He jumped out of the chair and promptly assisted her to the kitchen. Yoh came into the dining room after placing his bags on the counter there, and he sat in the seat Hana abandoned.

"Go wash up for dinner when you're finished, Hana," he called. "I know your uncle didn't feed you."

"Okay!"

Hao stared at his brother with an amused smirk and clasped his hands together against the table. Yoh leaned his weight against the back of the chair and yawned.

"You look tired, little brother," he said. "I wonder why?"

"He doesn't have any broken bones, does he?"

"No." Hao rolled his eyes.

"And you didn't poison him?"

"That happened one time, Yoh. Good grief."

"I have to be sure." He wearily rubbed the side of his face with his hand. "I don't want you traumatizing the boy every time we leave the house."

"I don't think you have to worry about _me_ traumatizing him."

There was a long pause. Yoh glared at him with a frown.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"What's for dinner?" Hao tapped the table with his fingers. "I know you won't pay me. Feeding me is the least you could do."

He mumbled something under his breath and stood from the table. Hao followed him into the kitchen where Anna was washing her hands. She began talking to Yoh about vegetables, a conversation Hao tuned out of automatically.

"I'll go check on Hana," she said. "You can get started."

"Sure."

He kissed her on the cheek, and Hao tilted his head as he watched her walk away. Her hips swayed seductively as the soft footsteps carried her toward the staircase. The long dress she wore hugged her curves in all the right places, and he blinked his eyes very slowly until she disappeared around the corner.

"What are you...looking at?"

Hao turned around abruptly without responding. Yoh was staring at him with a frown but he didn't address it. Perhaps there were things about Yoh and his wife he didn't need to know. Hana's information made him too curious for his own good, he determined. So many questions flooded his mind while he watched his brother wrestling with a few potatoes. The thought of him being aggressive anywhere was interesting; Anna's violence would never surprise him. He decided in that moment he was completely wrong. Babysitting wasn't so bad after all. Hana probably knew more things than he could ever imagine, and he would definitely need someone to confide in.

"I think I have a new nickname for you, Brother," he said with a giggle.

"What is it?"

"Tiger."

Yoh shrugged his shoulders. "I don't understand."

"I know."

And that was so amusing.


	2. Games

_**More random babbling. I wouldn't even consider this a chapter, but it fell within the same AU realm.**_

_**Pulchrite**_

* * *

**Games**

"Hey, Uncle Hao."

He opened his eyes very slowly as the sunlight burned against his skin when he heard the boy's voice. The bench he had been lying on was suddenly hard against his back, and he sat up while mumbling something under his breath.

"You were supposed to be watching him."

Hao leaned his back against the wood. He held his hands loosely in his lap with his legs spread out. She was standing over him with a perturbed expression, one that always seemed readily available when in his presence. Her magenta, waist-length hair fluttered with the wind as she clutched the boy by the shoulder with her hand.

"I was watching him, Tamao," he sighed.

"Ow," Hana protested as he attempted in vain to wriggle free.

"You have no idea where he's been the past hour, do you?"

"Well..." He scratched his head and shot her a sarcastic smile. "We're at the park, so he was probably...playing somewhere?"

"Yeah!" Hana bared his teeth with a satisfied smile, but it quickly faded as she tightened her grip on his shirt.

"Where did you come from anyway? Were you spying on us again?"

"Spy! Spy! Spy!" the boy chanted with a giggle.

"I don't understand why they leave him with you," she said with blatant bitterness. "It's insane."

"Uncle Hao's the greatest babysitter in the world!"

"Listen to him," Hao said with a smile. "He knows what he's talking about."

Hana ran toward the bench when Tamao released him and jumped into his arms. She rolled her eyes, but they both ignored the gesture.

"Oh don't be offended, Tamao. I'm sure he likes you too."

"That's not even the point," she mumbled. "You can't just let him wander off like that, Hao. He's too young to be out here all by himself."

"Didn't you know? I have eyes on the back of my head."

"Really?" Hana picked through his hair with his fingers. "Where?"

"I'm serious," she growled.

"Don't you get tired of being the mean one?" he asked.

"What?"

"You're mean. That's why Hana doesn't like you watching him."

"That's...that's not true! I'm not mean!" She shook her fists in the air.

"Hana, is she mean?"

Hana rested his hands on Hao's chest and bit his bottom lip as he pondered the question. He sat on his knee and turned his head around to look at her. For several seconds he turned back and forth to stare at her and then back at Hao.

"Oh good grief," she sighed.

"A little," he said.

"I told you," Hao said. "You're not his mother, Tamao. It's Anna's job to be the mean one. You should relax."

"He needs structure and rules, Hao. Hana's five. You can't just let him do anything he wants. He'll get himself killed."

"And you're a little too paranoid for your own good. Right, Hana?"

"What's...paranoid?" He scratched the mass of blond hair at the top of his head and frowned.

"It's when Tamao says your teeth will fall out when you eat that candy."

"...Oh. Yeah. You're paranoid."

They were staring at her with blank expressions, but after a few moments Hao's lips flashed into a grin.

"I'm not...paranoid," she said with a defensive glare. "And I'm not mean. I'm fun."

Silence fell over them as her breathing elevated.

"I can be fun, Hana. Right?"

He glanced at Hao as if afraid to answer. Hao nodded his head.

"You're really...boring," he said.

Hao couldn't stop himself from laughing. Hana smiled but seemed unsure of what was funny, and Tamao gawked at him with her mouth open.

"Hana! I'm not boring!" she pleaded. "...am I?"

"You should spend the rest of the day with us," Hao offered warmly. "We'll show you how to have fun. Right, Hana?"

"Yep!"

After hours of being dragged all over town, Tamao nearly collapsed when they reached Yoh's and Anna's house. Hana ran inside and shouted back to them that his parents were still gone. Hao locked the door and smiled at her as she sauntered wearily toward the sofa in the living room.

"He has too much energy," she said between breaths.

"Which is why you need to relax."

"So what are we gonna do now?" Hana asked. He was jumping up and down uncontrollably. Hao allowed him to eat more candy than usual and ignored Tamao's pleas for him to stop buying it.

"We'll let you pick," Hao said with amusement. "I'm sure you'll think of something spectacular."

Tamao leaned her head against the arm rest and closed her eyes with a fatigued sigh. She mumbled something under her breath but was ignored.

"Um..." Hana tapped his chin with his finger while hopping on one leg. Hao giggled as he watched him deliberate and sat on the sofa beside Tamao. She didn't move when she felt his warmth.

"Don't go too crazy," Hao sighed. "Tamao may not come back."

"Oh, I know!" He began jumping again. "You should play the animal game!"

Hao's smile slightly faded, but the boy didn't appear to notice. Tamao sat upright and rubbed her eyes.

"What animal game?" she asked.

"Hana," he snapped. "That was between us."

"Yeah but...she's part of the team now."

"She wouldn't want to play that game," he mumbled.

"Yes I would," Tamao interjected with an enthusiastic smile. "I don't know the rules, Hana."

Hao leaned back into the sofa and covered his mouth with his hand as he stared at the ceiling. He had no idea what Hana was going to say but his curiosity kept him from taking action. This was going to be interesting at best and terribly entertaining at worst.

"Well...first you have to pick an animal," Hana said. "You have to pretend to be the animal you pick."

"Um...okay." Tamao rubbed her neck with her hand and glanced at the floor. "How about a bunny?"

"You can't be a bunny," Hao said.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm a lion. I'd rip you to shreds."

Hana nodded his head in agreement and waited for her to respond.

"Are we...fighting?" she asked timidly.

"You have to pick an animal first," Hana said impatiently.

Tamao tapped her finger against her lip as she narrowed her eyes. If this was going to be a matter of strength she had to pick an animal that could match a lion. Hana and Hao were being too vague about the rules, and that worried her.

"What about a tiger?"

"Dad's a tiger," the boy sighed. "You have to pick something else."

"Yoh's played this game before?"

"He's a seasoned veteran," Hao replied with a smirk.

"I guess I'll pick...a panther."

"A panther?" Hana repeated.

"Yes."

Hana glanced at his uncle with a frown and awaited his approval. Hao smiled while softly biting his bottom lip and nodded his head.

"Okay, a panther is fine," he said. "Do you know what a panther sounds like?"

"I'm sure I can figure it out." Tamao was visibly confused, and she frowned when she heard Hao giggling under his breath.

"You have to make really loud panther noises, okay?"

"...Okay?"

"Explain the rules, Hana," Hao said.

"You have to fight. The strongest animal wins."

"That seems unfair, doesn't it?" He lightly raised an eyebrow. "Tamao is smaller."

"It doesn't matter. Mama wins all the time when they fight."

"What?" Tamao's whisper was ignored.

"Do you want to do it here or upstairs?"

"This is fine, Hana. We have more room."

"Okay."

"What are we talking about?" Tamao demanded.

"The game," Hana said with a blank stare.

"Well, what about you? What animal are you going to be?"

Hana shrugged his shoulders. "I can't play. Uncle Hao says I'm not old enough. Only grown ups can play."

Tamao stared at him with her mouth partially agape but didn't respond. She felt there was some kind of inside joke she wasn't privy to, and now she was more confused.

"I'm ready," she said. "Let's play."

"You have to take off your clothes first." Hana pointed at her. "Animals don't wear clothes."

"Wait...what?"

"That's how Dad and Mama fight. You have to fight the same way."

Silence filled the room immediately as Tamao's face completely paled. She stared at the boy with widened eyes as her voice was caught in the back of her throat. Hana's expression was a mixture of calm eagerness and innocent curiosity. He was unaware of her sudden discomfort and appeared confused as to why she was so quiet.

"Have you cleaned your room yet, Hana?" Hao's voice startled her slightly, and she flinched.

"No," he mumbled.

"Go take care of it before they get back. We'll play as soon as you're done."

"Okay!" Hana ran out of the room as fast as his feet would carry him and disappeared around the corner.

"A panther would never win against a lion, by the way," he said randomly.

"What is he...talking about?" she asked. "Is he talking about—"

"Yes."

"Does he _know_ he's talking about...that?"

"No."

Her breathing elevated as she stood from the sofa, and she rapidly paced in front of him.

"It takes Hana two or three hours to clean his room. He'll be up there until they get back."

She sighed with relief but stopped abruptly and stood in front of him. He smiled at her, but she countered the gesture with a frown.

"How far were you willing to go with this?" she demanded. "You knew from the beginning what he was talking about, and you have to know how incredibly inappropriate that conversation is for a child."

"You said you wanted to play. You almost insisted."

"I didn't know about this!" She was whispering like she was afraid Hana would hear them. "You're so terrible!"

"Are you saying I lied to him?"

"I'm saying you're a snake!"

"I specifically said I'm a lion, Tamao."

She gawked at him with widened eyes but didn't speak.

"If you want to explain all of this to him, be my guest. If Yoh and Anna aren't playing the 'Animal game' in their bedroom at night, you'd have to tell him what it's actually called...and why that's something they would do."

She rubbed her face with her hands and heavily exhaled.

"You would also have to explain why only adults do it and why the noises are so loud—"

"Okay, stop it!" she blurted. "I understand. Just...stop talking!"

She sat beside him reluctantly and shifted all of her body weight against the arm rest.

"I don't understand how this happened, Hao. What did you tell him?"

"It's all Yoh's fault. I had nothing to do with it."

"He...saw them or something?"

Hao slowly nodded his head.

"Do they...know he saw them?"

"I doubt it."

"Then we have to tell them."

Hao folded his arms tightly in his lap and heavily exhaled.

"If he told us about it so freely, who else would he tell?" She bit her bottom lip and paused. "...What if they get a call from his school or something? Or what if he starts talking to strangers about it?"

"You're really too paranoid for your own good," he sighed.

"Why did you tell him it was a game of all things?"

"What else was I supposed to say?"

"You should have told him the truth."

"Sure, Tamao. I'd like to see you have that conversation with a five year old kid."

She nervously closed her eyes and leaned forward. He was right, but she didn't want to admit it.

"If you want to tell Yoh and Anna about this, fine. I'm not saying a word."

There were rumbling sounds from upstairs that distracted them for a few moments. Tamao stared at the floor with a stressed frown. Hao's calm demeanor didn't change; the nonchalance was infuriating.

"It doesn't feel right to not say anything," she said. "They should know about this, Hao. It's...uncomfortable."

"We should probably practice."

The random statement forced her to slowly blink her eyes. "...Practice?"

"If Hana finishes cleaning his room before they get back he'll be expecting a fight, and we can't let him down. Don't think for a second I'll go easy on you."

His explanation was nearly interrupted as she slapped him hard across the face with an open palm.


End file.
